Magi
by midnightwars
Summary: It's been almost six years since she seen her dear friend. With an unexpected boat problem that lands her in the Kingdom of Sindria, will she finally get to reunite with him? But that's one one many problems that is to come. And it's too late to realize she made one major mistake back in her childhood.
1. Chapter 1

( **A** / **N** **Disclaimer; I don't own any Magi except Aika and maybe another character or two later on** )

The kingdom of Sindria loomed over her as she took a step off of the small boat. She breathed in a sigh of relief that she reached port in time. If she didn't her leaky boat would have sunk and her with it. _I_ _certainly didn't plan on stopping here. Now I need money, a boat, and someplace to stay._

She would avoid running into the King and whatnot. She heard rumors that ever since the last battle between Sindria and the Dark Djinns they've been taking extra precautions. As she walked towards the gate, she noticed five guards that were checking the cargo coming in and out. Biting her lip she quickly turned around and headed back the way she came.

When she came by an old guard post, she decided to climb her way up the wall and pass into the city undetected. As her hand found a notch in the stone, two voices made her stop in her tracks.

"Sinbad, you sure it was alright to run from the Kou Empire instead of staying to fight?"

"There's a fine line between running from an enemy that one, has you outnumbered, and two, you know you can't beat, and just being a coward running from the fight. It was the right choice to leave the city before a fight broke out." As the man finished his sentence, the pair came into sight. The one whom just finished speaking was the man she recognized to be King Sinbad. And to his right was one of the Eight Generals, Jafar.

"True." Came Jafar's answer. They were just about to pass by when Jafar snapped up his hand to prevent King Sinbad from walking any further.

"Jafar? What are-"

"Quiet. There's someone watching us." She held in a breath and waited for the two to pass, but instead Jafar turned his head in her direction and said. "We know you're there. Come out before I consider you a threat." She slowly stood, revealing her hiding spot from in the greens. While holding her hands up in a surrender, she jumped back to the earth landing a few feet from Sinbad.

"Who are you?" Jafar spoke to her in a cold voice. "You wouldn't be trying to sneak into the city now would you?"

"Now now Jafar. Is that any way to speak to a _beautiful_ young lady?" At those words, Jafar smacked his forehead and sighed while a blush creeped onto her face.

"Sinbad! Could you _please_ try to control your flirting?!" Came Jafar's annoyed voice.

"Now," Started Sinbad as he leaned towards her. "Mind telling us what you're doing back here?"

Her mouth opened slightly and no words came out. Then she decided to tell, _mostly_ , the truth. "I just came from the Kou Empire and was on my way to the Reim when my boat started to sink. I arrived here a couple of minutes ago."

"The Kou Empire?" Sinbad's voice was full of distaste. "What were you doing there?"

"I'm part of the messaging service that the Reim Empire set up. It's rare that the two Empires will compromise, and if a messenger from one country was sent it's possible that the other will be hostile. I've been chosen to relay messages because I belong in neither country. And I have also gained their trust."

"What do you mean you belong in neither country?" Asked Jafar.

"My homeland is Balbadd. I escaped before war broke out only for me to be captured by one of the Kou Empire prince's." When she mentioned Balbadd, the pair of men eyes widened.

"You're from, Balbadd?" Jafar asked his voice a bit shocked. "How'd you escape the Kou Empire?"

Sighing she said, "Like I said, I relay messages." With a smirk on his face, Sinbad took a step forward and asked,

"You got any messages for me?"

"Uh-no."

"Well, we better head back. Come on Sinbad. And you," Jafar pointed at her. "I don't think we know your name."

"Name's Aika."( **A** / **N** **Pronounced i-Ka)** She said as she stepped over a piece of rubble.

"Aika, have you head of Alibaba Saluja? He's the prince in your country." Her eyes widened.

"Alibaba?" She asked just to confirm.

 _Flashback_

 _She looked at herself in the shard of broken glass. Her long brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail and her raggedy clothes she pulled as much as she dared to get them almost above her knees. With an approving nod, she ran out of her home as fast as her legs would take her, and down the alley which would lead her to one of her oldest friends._

 _She slowed down as she recognized the makeshift home. "Hello?" She called out to check if anyone was home. She waited a few minutes and decided that he was not. Just as she was about to turn, a blonde head popped up from inside._

 _"Aika! What are you doing here?" A familiar voice called out. She turned joy returning to her eyes._

 _"Alibaba! I just came, to wish you good luck." Alibaba's eyes flickered in confusion before a trace of sadness filled them._

 _"Aika…listen." Alibaba took in a deep breath and took a step forward and gripped her shoulder. "No matter how far apart we are we'll always be the best of friends."_

 _"Alibaba…" He gave her a fierce expression before releasing her shoulders. She didn't even realizing what was happening for it was done and over within a blink of an eye._

 _A blonde suddenly snapped forward and she recognized the warmth of another's skin against hers. Her eyes widened and a blush creeped onto her face. The warmth disappeared in a second before her mind processed what had happened._

 _Alibaba now stood facing the wall a blush also clearly on his cheeks. It was silent for a minute before she said, "Like you said," She raised a foot and dragged the tips of her toes on the floor. "No matter how far apart we are, we'll always be the best of friends."_

 _Flashback End_

"Hey!" She snapped out of her daze pushing the memories farther back into consciousness. In annoyance she smacked away the hand of Sinbad which was waving in front of her face. Realizing that they'd stopped walking, she pushed past the two and continued farther down the street.

"Come on." Was all she said until they entered the palace.

"Right about now Alibaba should be training with Sharrkan." Jafar said as they turned a corner. And sure enough, when they entered a courtyard, her old friend was training. With a hardened gaze and one hand behind his back, he attacked. First dodging the blade the one known as Sharrkan went to stab him with, then blade met blade in a fury of clanging metal.

"Alibaba! There's someone here who I'd like you to meet!" Sinbad called out. The blades attacked one another for a couple more seconds till Sharrkan reached over and patted Alibaba on the back with a smile. The pair made their way over to them, but as soon as Alibaba's eyes met her, he stopped dead in his tracks.

"Aika? Is, that _really_ you?" Alibaba asked his eyes wide as saucers.

"Yeah." Was all she said. Even through she was brimming with joy, the agreement she had with the Kou Empire would prevent her from staying any longer than she had to.

"So you two already know each other." Jafar stated. Alibaba blinked rapidly before saying,

"Yeah, I met her when I was still living in the Slumps. But Aika," Alibaba faced her with pained eyes. " _How_ _are you still alive?"_


	2. Chapter 2

_Flashback_

 _As she ran down the streets, her mind drifted back to the moment which had speed her heartbeat up. A body suddenly slammed into her sending her flying backwards_.

 _"Watch where you're going brat." A harsh voice called out to her. She didn't say a word as she attempted to stand, but before she could do so a foot dug into her gut. Pain flared up in her stomach, the air was knocked out of her, and her vision blurred before focusing. Another kick to her stomach, another, and another. Relief flooded into her once the kicking stopped, but the worse was yet to come._

 _Her closed eyes opened just to see a foot slam down onto her hand. A delayed reaction, the foot lifted off her hand, she stared at it, until her mouth opened and let loose a bone-chilling scream. The men that surrounded her laughed, so sure that no one was coming to save this runt. But they were wrong._

 _Two sets of footsteps rapidly approached. She lifted up her head to see a blonde and another boy with brown hair tied up in a ponytail. The blonde jumped up, anger written clearly on his face and kneed one man in stomach. "Leave her alone!" A weak smile formed on her face as she recognized the fighting figures of Kassim and Alibaba. The pair kept punching the men as they got up, or giving a final kick to the ones that were down._

 _As she tried to sit up, a metallic tasting liquid rose in her throat. She broke into a fit of coughing and saw the liquid was her own blood. The fighting continued for another five minutes give or take. She pried open her eyes to see Alibaba get kneed in the stomach and collapse to the earth_.

 _"Alibaba!" She screamed. Her eyes flickered over to Kassim who took a hit to the head and fell to the ground unconscious. Her teeth clenched together in anger._

 _"See? These weaklings aren't worth our time. But," The one speaking gave her a devilish grin. "Since they're trying to save this runt I'll give them the pleasure of having them watch her die." Fear trickled into her veins as the man walked over to her and picked her up by gripping her throat. Her legs kicked wildly and her fingers clawed at the hand which would soon lead to her death._

 _Her supply of air was running dangerously low. "Aika! Stop!" Came Alibaba's hoarse voice. Because of her blurred vision she couldn't see, but her ears detected a thump followed by a groan. This is it…if I die here nobody will care, except maybe, Kassim and Alibaba. A single tear trailed down her face as the grip tightened the most._

 _Slowly, her hands fell limp to her side. She could faintly hear a man chuckle before she was thrown into the river below and swallowed by darkness._

 _Flashback End_

It was silent after that question. Sharrkan was the first to speak,

"What do you mean?"

Alibaba's hands went into fists by his side. "I watched you _die_ Aika. So tell me, how are you standing here?" She glanced at the group surrounding her.

She took a deep breath and spoke, "After I supposedly 'died', I got washed downriver. The Kou Empire prince Kouen Ren found me and brought me back to the Kou Empire. After I woke up he offered me a deal; work as a messenger between two competing Empire's and I'll insure your safety. If not, I'll _marry_ you off to my youngest brother." Looking up she took in each expression.

Jafar had none, his lips were in a straight line and seemingly bored eyes stared outside. Sinbad snickered and probably thought this was funny. Sharrkan was giving the, 'is-he-crazy?' look. And Alibaba was glaring at the floor.

"Why the _hell_ would he make those the terms?" Alibaba asked. Shrugging she leaned back and rested against a pillar.

"But in the six years I've been there, nothing major happened to me." Subconsciously her hand reached up to her throat and rubbed it after remembering the painful memory. Her eyes met Alibaba's and she said her voice tinged with sadness, "I'm afraid I can't stay any longer then I have to. I'm due in the Reim Empire in three days. If I don't return back to the Kou something will most likely happen."

"Like what?" Asked Sharrkan.

"For some reason Kouen Ren is very protective over me. He treats me like a sister so I would assume if I don't return he'd jump to a conclusion that I've been kidnapped."

"Can't you just ditch them?" Sinbad questioned. She shot a look at the carefree King before answering,

"What would you do if someone dear to you was kidnapped?"

Sinbad seemed taken aback by this question but he quickly regained his composure. "I would find them and probably kill them or if I'm in the mood for mercy spare their lives."

"And if you were the King of a powerful Empire constantly fighting with another?" She could tell by this question she hurt his ego for he was King of a Kingdom, but not a powerful Empire.

"I would assume the other Empire took them and probably go there myself with a small army." Sinbad replied.

A small smirk grew on her face. "You see? If I don't return, it's a possibility that there will be enough confusion to wage a war. If you don't mind, I'm leaving now." As she was heading for the exit, a hand shot out and grasped her wrist.

"Aika. What _happened_?" She turned and faced the still confused Alibaba. She jerked her wrist as an attempt to free it.

"I don't know what you mean." But she knew very well what he meant. What happened to that smile? That Aika that acted as if there wasn't a care in the world?

The hand tightened around her wrist and a strong voice spoke. "Yes you do. What happened after you arrived in the Kou Empire? You're not anything like the Aika I know." Her heart squeezed in despair as she mentally recited the other line of the agreement; If you ever come by one of your old friends, act cold towards them for there's no chance you and him could ever be on the same level again. She knew what that meant.

Since back in Kou, Kouen Ren "adopted" her, she was moved into the palace and was known as a princess. She had never known luxury like that, even through she put up with it she would prefer to be outside. But, the agreement also stated that if she was caught talking to a "peasant" we'd both be killed. I'm guessing Kouen Ren doesn't want her to _dishonor_ the family name.

With tears threatening to fall, she turned her voice icy cold and said. "Then maybe I'm not the Aika you once knew. After all, people change for the better, _right_?" And with that, she ran past Jafar and the King whom were standing at the exit. Tears trailed down her face as she ran outside into the cool night air. She took a deep breath and rubbed furiously at her face. With a sigh, she laid down on the grass and observed the twinkling stars until she was overtook by sleepiness.


End file.
